Chandoori Sai is a luxury guest house in Goudaguda, a pottery producing village, a couple of kilometres from Kakiriguma in the Koraput district of Odisha, India. “Chandoori” is the Poraja name of the big mango tree at the bottom of the garden. Sai means house. The tree was local medicine for many centuries.
‘Going tribal’, through its development of the Chandoori Sai guesthouse, has introduced a unique form of luxury eco-tourism to the world that gives you a taste of a time long past and a glimpse of village life not much changed since from the time before.
The concept of ‘going tribal’ is to let you, the guest, experience and participate in the relaxed rural life in the heart of the tribal district of Orissa, while indirectly bringing much-needed attention and opportunities for these indigenous people (Adivasi) and their habitats.
Mahoney’s dream
Chandoori Sai was established by ‘Going Tribal’, a unique project conceived and developed by, and is managed by, Leon Mahoney, an Australian national who is a permanent resident of India and also committed to India.
The aim was to use quality tourism to focus attention and bring work and business opportunities to the people of the Southern Districts of Orissa, through development projects funded out of the operations of ‘going tribal’ and also by assisting in adapting styles and or techniques of the different craft to make suitable, quality products for Indian and foreign markets. It is a multi-functional operation designed to bring development in an intelligent and constructive way to a place where there is little to none.
Going Tribal is not a charity or a welfare organisation, but a working concept aimed at getting the maximum benefits and opportunities to the general rural and tribal inhabitants of the Tribal Belt of Orissa.
The main village of Goudaguda creates terracotta pots and utensils for daily use in the surrounding area and these are sold at the local weekly market or “haat”. The surrounding area and the host village are a reasonably developed mixed rural area of this part of Orissa, but still very underdeveloped in comparison with much of India. The employees of the operation are from the local villages, as was the workforce used in the construction of this unique tourism venture.
A tribal way of life
The guesthouse, comprising five double rooms, is styled on the local tribal houses, within a 2-acre garden setting.Chandoori Sai has five guest rooms and is situated in Goudaguda, a “cottage industry” village in the tribal district of Orissa. This unique guest house is styled on the local tribal village houses but within a secure garden setting.
The luxury guest rooms were designed on the houses of the Poraja and Khonda tribes, unobtrusively placed in a secluded part of the village. The rooms are very spacious and all have ensuite facilities. The spacious lounge overlooks the garden and down to the river and the rolling hills in the distance.
The sparkling clean kitchen opens onto the lounge area to enable guest interaction and serves home-style, multi-cuisine, vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, using local organic produce where possible. The food is predominately seasonal and organic as in this area very few chemical pesticides and fertilisers are used. Special diets will be accommodated if possible with prior consultation.
There are also traditional tribal and pottery handicrafts on display that can be inspected at leisure without pressure and purchased at a fair and reasonable price with secure packaging to ensure its safe carriage.
The rooms were constructed and decorated using local labour and materials where possible. From the hand-made terracotta floor tiles to the different coloured ochres used on the walls to give the rooms a warm earthy look and feel.
How to reach
If you are feeling a little adventurous come directly by train (5 hours) through the beautiful Araku Valley from Visakhapatnam and be met at Koraput (40 km) at lunchtime or we can bring you by road up the Eastern Ghats from Visakhapatnam (200 km). Another option is to come by road or rail from Bhubaneswar or Puri (500+ km).
Things to do
You will have the opportunity to visit one of the many weekly markets or “haats”. Enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas as local tribal people barter, buy and sell their excess produce and stock. Many handicrafts are available from colourful saris, handmade textiles in traditional patterns and earthy tones to exclusive jewellery pieces.
Terracotta pottery, making and firing – Throw some clay on the wheel. Simply spend the day with the potters and make your own.
Walk the cross country route with the locals from Goudaguda and surrounding villages to the Kakiriguma market (3 km) held every Monday under a canopy of old mango trees.
If you are not in the mood for touring, you can simply explore the village and surrounding countryside with some of the local tribal girls as your guides who can also give you an insight into daily village life here in Goudaguda. You can also relax and enjoy the scenery and village sounds.
Most people who visit us at Chandoori Sai find more than the tours, it is the village people and life that make their holiday more than memorable and beckons their return. The simple charm of these exotic tribal people is bewitching and refreshing and will have you yearning for a simple life without the pace and complexities of the world we have become conditioned to living with today.
